International Relations Coordinators Meeting 2017

21 - 24 september 2017

State Conservatory Tbilisi, Georgia

The Annual Meeting for Internatinal Relations Coordinators 2017 took place at the State Conservatory Tbilisi, Georgia on 21-24 September.

The meeting is meant for administrative or teaching staff members in Conservatoires who deal with international relations and European programmes (such as ERASMUS), as well as for institutions not familiar with these programmes, but with an interest in becoming involved.

The meeting is important for networking, exchanging useful information and for developing partnerships. With this annual meeting, the AEC is bringing together a growing community of International Relations Coordinators. The programme of the meeting, as well as other important documents and policies on the field of international relations of conservatoires, are the result of the collaboration between the AEC office and the IRCs Developmental Working Group

The IRCs Developmental Working Group:

Bruno Pereira (ESMAE, Porto) – Chairman
Raffaele Longo (Conservatorio di Musica “San Pietro a Majella”, Napoli)
Payam Gul Susanni (Yasar University School of Music, Izmir)
Victor Ciulian (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna)
Hanneleen Pihlak (Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, Tallin) – EASY subgroup
Christofer Fredriksson (University College of Opera – part of the Stockholm University of the Arts, Stockholm)
Jan-Gerd Krüger (Prins Claus Conservatorium, Groningen)
Student representative: Saara Lindahl (Sibelius Academy – University of the Arts, Helsinki)
AEC Office representative: Sara Primiterra (AEC Events Manager) – EASY subgroup

The AEC working groups members work on the preparation of AEC events on voluntary basis. The AEC Preparatory Working Groups are all formed by coopting active individuals in the relevant field of specialization within AEC member institutions. Proactivity, as well as geographical and gender balances are the applied criteria to guarantee the diverse and dynamic character of the groups, who should ideally recreate the diversity of AEC members institutions.

Working group members are financially supported by their home institutions, which cover their travel and accommodation expenses to the working group meetings and to the actual event.

AEC Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators

21 – 24 September 2017, State Conservatory Tbilisi, Georgia

Diversity: independently together

Working in the field of international relations means to deal on daily basis with the concept of “diversity”. Diversity means acceptance and respect; it means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences; it is the exploration of these differences in a positive, and nurturing environment; it is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity of each individual. In other words: it means to be “independently together”.

Nowadays the theme of diversity is being addressed at several levels, from national governments to European institutions, from media to NGO’s, and last but not least it has become a key requirement of European funding programmes and a central theme within the AEC community, which has already addressed this issue within the Pop and Jazz Platform and the AEC Annual Congress and General Assembly in the last years.

During their 2017 meeting, the International Relations Coordinators of AEC members institutions are also invited to reflect on this theme of “Diversity” starting from its intrinsic definition: independently together. If from one side working in an international environment naturally means to be surrounded by “diversity”, are we really ready to make an effort to accept our differences and work together, going beyond our prejudice and horizons? Are we ready to cross our safe “Erasmus borders”? Are our institutions ready to accept and endorse commonly agreed international policy, standards, guidelines and tools which would allow us to better work together?

This theme will be symbolically debated in the furthest location the IRCs Meeting has ever taken place: Tbilisi, Georgia, on the border between East and West, Europe and Asia, in a country rich of history, culture and traditions beyond the European Union.

This special IRCs Meeting edition, which falls between the end of the FULL SCORE project and the beginning of the new “SMS = Strengthening Music in Society” funded by Creative Europe, will feature 3 pre-conference activities:

EASY Workshop (Thursday 11:00– 18:00) – European Online Application System Pilot Project: this seminar, given by Dreamapply, the IT company who has developed the system, is meant for institutions which already took part in Pilot Year 1 and to new institutions willing to join the system in Year 2. The system will undergo some further testing and development during the Summer and will be presented in detail during this seminar with some hands-on simulations. This seminar is FREE of CHARGE and open to all institutions.
Seminar 1 on Branding (Friday 10:00 – 13:00): how can institutions market themselves at international level? Is a branding strategy necessary to compete on the modern and worldwide higher education market? How can conservatoires build an international branding strategy? Which are the necessary steps? The case study of Berlkee College of Music in Valencia will be presented as an exemple. Extra fees apply to this seminar and a maximum of 30 participants will be allowed.
Seminar 2 on Quality and Internationalization (Friday 10:00 – 13:00): Higher music education institutions are recruiting an increasingly diverse and international student body. As such, there is a growing need to ensure that their educational programmes and environment are adapted to students coming from different (teaching) cultures, within as well as outside Europe. How can higher music education institutions take the responsibility to ensure the relevance and quality of their educational provision in such an international context? Which intercultural challenges do institutions encounter? Which quality enhancement tools can be used or developed to assist institutions in improving their internationalisation process? This seminar on quality and internationalisation aims to offer participants a platform to share experiences and exchange practices and ideas about these various challenges. Extra fees apply to this seminar and a maximum of 30 participants will be allowed.

During the conference, an inspiring keynote speech will trigger group discussions around the theme of “diversity”, while parallel sessions will give the opportunity to explore various topics related to the core activities of the IRCs: Recognition and Diploma Supplement, Employability, Jean Monnet Programme and Knwledge Alliances, Capactiy Building and Credit Mobility, Quality. A plenary session will be dedicated to the outcomes of the first pilot year of the EASY – European Online Application System and, more in general, to the “technological” trends that the Erasmus Programme is facing, which will be presented by the representatives of the project Erasmus Without Papers.

Last but not least, all participants are welcome to share their “diversity” during the Information Market, where the possibility of presenting projects and activities of international relevance will be given to the audience (please subscribe for this via the registration form) and during the last Newtorking with Refreshment sessions, for which all participants are invited to contribute by bringing typical food and drinks from their country! Finally, on Sunday we will explore Georgia during our Networking Trip to the Georgian vineyards were the tradition of wine making was born and flourished.
Looking forward to meeting you again in Tbilisi!

Programme

Annual Meeting for International Relations Coordinators

21-24 September 2017, State Conservatory Tbilisi, Georgia

Diversity: independently together

Thursday 21st September

11:00 – 18:00 EASY Pre-conference Workshop (free of charge, open to all participants) – Recital Hall

11h – 12h registration of the participants and introduction to the old pilot institutions and to the new interested institutions (2 different rooms)

12h – 13:30 first part of the system simulation

13:30 – 14:30 lunch

14:30 – 16:00 second part of the system simulation and Q&A

16:00 – 16:30 coffee break

16:30 – 18:00 introduction to the set up for new institutions

Friday 22nd September

9:45 – 10:00 Registration to the pre-conference seminars (only for participants who signed up in the registration form)

10:00 – 13:00 Pre-conference seminar on Branding

10:00 – 13:00 Pre Conference seminar on Quality and Internationalization

12:30 Registration Open, coffee available, networking time – Grand Hall Foyer

12:45 – 13:15 Tour of the Conservatoire – Meeting point Grand Hall Foyer

13:00 – 14:00 Introductory Sessions

Introductory Session for first-time delegates with group discussion, Aud 401
Introductory Session for students with group discussion, Aud 301

14:20 – 15:00 Opening Event – Grand Hall

Music introduction
Welcome words by:

Reso Kiknadze, Rector of the Tbilisi State Conservatory
Manana Berikashvili, Vice-Minister of culture and monuments protection
Stefan Gies, AEC Chief Executive

15:00 – 15:30 Plenary Session I – Grand Hall

Keynote Speech by Huib Schippers – Facing the Music: Dealing with Diversity in Conservatoire Contexts

15:30 – 16:00 Informal Networking with refreshments – Grand Hall Foyer

16:00 – 17:00 Breakout Groups – Sit and Talk – pre arranged groups by letters

A – 224a, B – 307, C – 301, D – 421, E – 405, F – 401, G – 425, H – 505

17:00 – 17:30 Plenary Session II – Grand Hall

Nino Samvelidze, Programme Manager, at Youth, Culture, Information Society, M&E for the Delegation of the European Union to Georgia
Nana Sharikadze, IRC at the Tbilisi State Conservatory
AEC Tradition: Let’s Sing a Song from Georgia

17:30 – 18:30: Pre-booked rooms available for Project meetings (please book a room in the registration form)

M. Granum – 224a
METRIC – 301
European Opera Academy – 505

17:30 Official Opening of the New Library of the Tbilisi Conservatoire (in collaboration with the Norwegian Academy Oslo)

19:00: Welcome Dinner – Tbilisi City Assembly, Freedom Square 2 , Tbilisi

Saturday 23rd September

9:45 – 10:50 Plenary Session III – EASY and EWP – Grand Hall

Music introduction
EASY – Pilot Project of a European Application System for Mobility among Higher Music Education Institutions
Introductory speech by Lucia di Cecca, AEC Council Member
Presentation of the system by Dreamapply
The Erasmus Without Paper Project by Joao Bacelar (European University Foundation)
Q&A

11:00 – 12:00 Parallel Sessions

Recognition Issues and Diploma supplement, with Antonio Narejos, Conservatorio Superior de Murcia, representative from the Georgian National Agency and student from Tbilisi Conservatoire – 401
Employability (Internships, Career Centers, Entrepreneurship) with Maria Martinez Iturriaga, Berklee Valencia, and Susanne van Els, Conservatorium Maastricht – 307
Jean Monnet Programme and Knowledge Alliances, by Lika Glonti, Erasmus National Agency Georgia – 405
Capacity Building and Credit Mobility, by Nana Sharikadze, Tbilisi State Conservatorie and Christofer Fredriksson, University of the Arts, Stockholm – 425
Making the Connection between Internationalization and Quality Assurance presentation by MusiQuE – Music Quality Enhancement – 421

12:00 – 12:30: Networking with Refreshments – Grand Hall Foyer

12:30 – 13:30: Parallel Sessions

Recognition Issues and Diploma supplement, with Antonio Narejos, Conservatorio Superior de Murcia, representative from the Georgian National Agency and student from Tbilisi Conservatoire – 401
Employability (Internships, Career Centers, Entrepreneurship) with Maria Martinez Iturriaga, Berklee Valencia, and Susanne van Els, Conservatorium Maastricht – 307
Jean Monnet Programme and Knowledge Alliances, by Lika Glonti, Erasmus National Agency Georgia – 405
Capacity Building and Credit Mobility, by Nana Sharikadze, Tbilisi State Conservatorie and Christofer Fredriksson, University of the Arts, Stockholm – 425
Making the Connection between Internationalization and Quality Assurance presentation by MusiQuE – Music Quality Enhancement – 421

13:30 – 14:30 Lunch – Recital Hall Foyer

14:30 – 15:30 Information Forum Market – Grand Hall

Brief Presentations and “market” discussion moderated by Sara Primiterra, AEC Events manager
Presentation of the handbook: “Increasing Student Voice in the Higher Music Education Institutions: Tips and Guidelines by the AEC Student Working Group”, by Saara Lindahl, AEC Students working group
Presentation of the AEC website database and AEC Job Vacancy Platform within the FULL SCORE project by Angela Dominguez, AEC Office
Presentation on the revised AEC Learning Outcomes by Jef Cox, AEC Office

Presentations by AEC members on international projects and platforms and discussion

15:30 – 16:30: Breakout Group Discussion: brainstorming on the AEC work on mobility and internationalization issues – feedback from the participants and suggestions for the future

A – 224a, B – 201, C – 307, D – 405, E – 401, F – 421, G – 425, H – 505

16:30 – 17:00 Closing and Sharing – Grand Hall

News from the AEC by Eirik Birkeland, AEC President
Announcement of the next IRCs Meeting
Closing Remarks by Eirik Birkeland and Bruno Pereira, IRC working group chair

17:00 Let’s share our international food and drinks! Networking with refreshments – Grand Hall Foyer

18:00 – 18:30 Tour of the Conservatoire – Grand Hall Foyer

18:30 – 19:15: Closing Concert – Grand Hall

Sunday 24 th September – Networking Day

Wine Tour (40 euro per person) including lunch – 10:00 – 18:00

we go there by bus, but you can come back anytime by taxi if you have an earlier flight
Meeting Point: in front of the Grand or Recital Hall, Griboedov str 8

Information on the Participation Fees

Early Bird Deadline: 10 August 2017

Participation fees can be paid in the following ways:

– Manual Payment by Bank Transfer before the event (preferable)

– Ideal, Credit Card, Paypal and Bankcontact Systems Online (+3 euro)

– Manual Payment (cash on the spot in Tbilisi)

– Manual Payment (by Credit Card in Tbilisi)

For more information and invoice request please mail events@aec-music.eu

Category	Payment and Registration by August 10 (early bird)	Payment and Registration after August 10
Representative of AEC member institution (staff)	150 euro (participation fee) + 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)	210 euro (participation fee) + 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)
Representative of a non-AEC member institution	350 euro (participation fee) + 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)	450 euro (participation fee) 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)
Student from an AEC member institution	100 euro (participation fee) 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)	160 euro (participation fee) 50 euro (pre-conference seminar)

The participation fee to the IRCs Meeting includes:

Conference documents
Participation to the EASY workshop
Participation to all plenary and parallel sessions during the Conference
Participation to the networking moments
Possibility to display information brochures posters and materials about AEC members institutions
Possibility to use for free the conservatoire spaces for project meetings
Coffee Breaks
One organized dinner
One organized lunch
Concerts organized by the hosting institution

NB:The rates do not include the participation fee to the Networking Activiy on Sunday (40 euros, payable on the spot) and the participation fee of accompanying partners (25 euros per meal) such as family members, which will be paid on the spot.

The participation fee will not be reimbursed for cancellations notified after August 10, 2017.

Bank details for payments

BNP Paribas Fortis=

Account Holder AEC-Music

IBAN: BE47 0016 8894 2980

SWIFT/ BIC Code: GEBABEBB

When making the transfer, please clearly quote:

Code of the event (IRC 2017)
Last name of the participant
Name of your institution (if fitting)

Example: IRC 2017, Smith, Gotham Conservatory

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Documents